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Donald Trump's second inauguration on Monday was marked by breaks from traditions, including moving the ceremony indoors due to a particularly frigid wintry spell across much of the United States. But what caught people's gaze was that the US President did not actually swear on the Bible, as is customary.
While taking the presidential oath, Trump did not place his hand on a bible or the US Constitution. It is not clear whether he decided to break with protocol or perhaps because he just forgot.
During the ceremony, John Roberts, chief justice of the Supreme Court, began reading the oath for Trump to repeat before incoming first lady, Melania Trump, could reach him with the two copies of the Bible she was holding - one given to him by his mother and the so-called Lincoln Bible, which was used by the 16th president in 1861 and by Barack Obama in 2009 and 2013.
As Ms Melania stood beside her husband holding books, he raised his right hand but did not put his left on the Bible. It hung down by his side instead.
Donald J. Trump Sworn In as the 47th President of the United States
America is BACK. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Fi7k78Gnp1
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 20, 2025
Touching sacred texts isn't a legal requirement -- the Constitution merely demands that presidents declare fealty to it "by oath or affirmation." It does not specify what they should be doing with their hands.
"But no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States," the charter document states.
Trump's inauguration also raised eyebrows with its blatant display of convergence of money and politics, where Silicon Valley princelings rubbed shoulders with Washington's elite. Around a dozen billionaires were present for the ceremony, with some commentators on social media putting their total value at around $1 trillion -- the approximate GDP of Switzerland.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Google chief Sundar Pichai, Apple boss Tim Cook and the world's richest man -- Tesla CEO Elon Musk -- were all sitting nearby as Trump was sworn in.